Ballard Power Systems announced that it has signed a Development Agreement with Siemens AG for the development of a zero-emission fuel cell engine to power Siemens' Mireo light rail train. The Development Agreement has a contemplated value of approximately $9.0 million to Ballard.

Under the terms of the Development Agreement, Ballard will develop a 200 kilowatt fuel cell engine for integration into Siemens' new Mireo train platform. Mireo is a modular commuter train platform designed for speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour). Thanks to lightweight design, energy-efficient components and intelligent onboard network management, the Mireo will consume up to 25% less energy than trains with similar passenger capacity. Initial deployments of the fuel cell-powered Mireo train are planned for 2021.

Sabrina Soussan, CEO of the Mobility Division at Siemens said, "Our cooperation with Ballard is a decisive step towards replacing diesel-powered rail vehicles with emissions-free vehicles in the long term interests of sustainable and climate-friendly mobility. We want to be able to offer our customers flexible train solutions for various suburban routes, which vary according to regional conditions and technical possibilities."

Randy MacEwen, Ballard President and CEO added, "We are seeing rapid market demand growing for clean energy fuel cell technology in a range of Heavy Duty Motive applications, including trains, trams, transit buses and commercial trucks. This Development Agreement with Siemens, a major industrial conglomerate and leading global train OEM, is a testament to the overall value proposition offered by Ballard's fuel cell technology in a demanding use case and duty cycle. In this application, fuel cells enable electrification with range, without the need for costly catenary wire infrastructure."

Siemens is the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe, headquartered in Munich, Germany and with offices around the globe. Siemens has more than 350,000 employees worldwide and the Company generated revenue in excess of €79 billion (USD$94 billion) in 2016.

The non-energy benefits of lighting have long been the focus of the National Lighting Bureau. Established in 1976, the not-for-profit lighting-information service was created to advocate for “High-Benefit Lighting®”; i.e., energy-efficient lighting that is designed to increase worker productivity, reduce visual errors, increase safety, improve security, and attain a variety of related benefits with significant bottom-line values, as documented in an array of case histories available free on the Bureau’s website.

Keeping Current

STANDARD announces the appointment of two new sales managers for Western Canada.

Zane Yakiwchuk has been promoted to Regional Sales Manager for Western Canada. In addition to leading sales in Alberta and the Midwest, Zane will be responsible for the British Columbia market. Many of STANDARD's customers have Trans-Western operations and we believe we can work in a more aligned fashion to develop and execute strategic initiatives that will drive mutual growth. Zane has a long history with STANDARD, starting in 2004 as a Lighting Specialist in B.C. and then moving to Calgary in 2011 to become the Regional Sales Manager for Alberta. Based on his success in Alberta, Zane’s geographic region has been expanded to include Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.

Northwinds' sales force leverages over 100 years of combined experience in the province of Ontario and is committed to providing dependable solutions to an always-changing electrical industry. They are dedicated to fulfilling all the supply needs of the electrical distributor and contractor partners with the industry's finest manufacturers.

MERSEN announced the appointment of Ali Julazadeh as Regional Sales Manager for Canada’s Central Region, effective October 23, 2017. Ali joined Mersen in March 2014 in the position of Solutions Engineer, PV Products. Ali recently earned his P.Eng. designation, holds a Bachelors and a Masters of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from Ryerson University in Toronto and is in the process of completing his MBA.

Ali is based in Mersen’s Mississauga office and can be reached at 416.252.9371.

TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, has introduced a development kit for its new LUMAWISE Drive LED Holder Type Z50, enabling luminaire designers to purchase a single unit for desktop testing, product evaluation and luminaire prototyping. Each kit contains an LED holder, a cable assembly and a thermal interface material.

The versatile new Hilti task light SL 2-A22 packs a whole lot of illumination into a very small package. Put it on the ground, hang it by its integrated hook, or hold it in a free hand to put the light just where you need it to get the job done.

The fully-adjustable LED panel rotates to provide 360 degrees to get the light where you need it and pivots so you can put 500 lumens of color-accurate white natural light exactly where you need it, while staying cool to the touch. A 3-position switch lets you select the right amount of light based on your needs.

CBS ArcSafe®, a leading manufacturer of remote racking and switching solutions for low- and medium-voltage switchgear, introduces its remote switch actuator (RSA) for the ABB/Sace Novomax air circuit breaker (ACB). The lightweight, portable CBS ArcSafe RSA-242 allows technicians to remotely close or trip an ABB/Sace Novomax ACB from a safe distance of up to 300 feet, well outside the arc-flash boundary.